editorNPR Digital Services RSS Generator 0.94Lynn Neary is an NPR arts correspondent and a frequent guest host often heard on Morning Edition and Weekend Edition . In her role on the Arts desk, Neary reports on an industry in transition as publishing moves into the digital age. As she covers books and publishing, she relishes the opportunity to interview many of her favorite authors from Barbara Kingsolver to Ian McEwan. Arriving at NPR in 1982, Neary spent two years working as a newscaster during Morning Edition . Then, for the next eight years, Neary was the host of Weekend All Things Considered . In 1992, she joined the cultural desk to develop NPR's first religion beat. As religion correspondent, Neary covered the country's diverse religious landscape and the politics of the religious right. Over the years Neary has won numerous prestigious awards including the Robert F. Kennedy Journalism award, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting Gold Award, an Ohio State Award, an Association of Women in Radio and Television Award andNPR Digital Services RSS Generator 0.94Lynn NearyTue, 13 Feb 2018 08:34:38 +0000Lynn Nearyhttp://ktep.org
Lynn NearyCopyright 2018 NPR. To see more, visit ARI SHAPIRO, HOST: In Baltimore, a federal jury has convicted two detectives of racketeering and racketeering conspiracy. It's part of a larger corruption case that has rocked the Baltimore Police Department. Justin Fenton is a reporter with The Baltimore Sun newspaper, who has been following the case, and he's with us now. Justin, thanks for joining us once again. JUSTIN FENTON: Yeah, thanks for having me. SHAPIRO: Tell us about the case and what these detectives were accused of. FENTON: Two detectives who were part of an entire unit that was tasked with going after drugs and guns in the city were accused of basically using that authority to rob citizens. In some of these cases, they were accused of stealing as much as a hundred thousand dollars, filling out false police reports, even making videos that purported to, you know, show a different series of events. The officers were convicted today by a federal jury of racketeering, racketeeringWinners Of 2018 Caldecott And Newbery Awards Announcedhttp://ktep.org/post/winners-2018-caldecott-and-newbery-awards-announced
124821 as http://ktep.orgMon, 12 Feb 2018 21:22:00 +0000Winners Of 2018 Caldecott And Newbery Awards AnnouncedLynn NearyAsymmetry is a book whose title tells the tale: It's made up of two disparate stories with no apparent connection, and a third story that just hints at the link between the two. Debut author Lisa Halliday won the prestigious Whiting Award for her work — and while you may not have heard of her, you probably have heard of Colson Whitehead, Jeffrey Eugenides, Alice McDermott and Jonathan Franzen, all of whom are fellow Whiting winners Whiting literary director Courtney Hodell says the award focuses on a certain kind of book: "Risky, adventurous important writing that's happening right now in America." Hodell says Asymmetry fits this mold perfectly. Readers may be drawn in by the two main stories, without immediately understanding how they form a novel. The first is a May-December love story set in New York; the second, a tale of displacement and war told by an Iraqi American who's been detained by authorities in London's Heathrow airport. "They're not even parallel stories," Hodell says. A Debut Author Imagines Herself Into Other Lives In 'Asymmetry'http://ktep.org/post/debut-author-imagines-herself-other-lives-asymmetry
124562 as http://ktep.orgThu, 08 Feb 2018 21:34:00 +0000A Debut Author Imagines Herself Into Other Lives In 'Asymmetry'Lynn NearyTake a little Hitchcock and a touch of Gone Girl . Add in a mysterious author and rumors of a very big price tag. Stir them all together and you come up with a rare bird: A debut novel that hits number one on the New York Times bestseller list in its first week on the market. Brand name authors like James Patterson or Stephen King hit the top of the Times list in the first week all the time. Unknowns like The Woman in the Window , not so often. "It is very unusual," says Greg Cowles, the longtime writer of the Times' "Inside the List" column. He says the buzz has been building since a hotly contested auction for the novel, by an unknown author named A.J. Finn. Turns out that's a pseudonym for Daniel Mallory, an executive editor at William Morrow, the publishing company that bought the book. But Cowles says even with all that interest, no book is a sure bet. "You really never know despite the buzz, despite the huge advance sales, the publishers themselves never know, will this book hit.How The Man In The Apartment Hit Big With 'The Woman In The Window'http://ktep.org/post/how-man-apartment-hit-big-woman-window
123226 as http://ktep.orgSat, 20 Jan 2018 12:25:00 +0000How The Man In The Apartment Hit Big With 'The Woman In The Window'Lynn NearyCopyright 2018 NPR. To see more, visit KELLY MCEVERS, HOST: At the Library of Congress today, Gene Luen Yang officially ended his tenure as national ambassador for young people's literature and handed the baton to Jacqueline Woodson. She is the sixth children's book author to hold the position. And for the next two years, she will be encouraging children and teenagers to read and to read more. NPR's Lynn Neary talked to the two writers about the job. LYNN NEARY, BYLINE: Gene Luen Yang admits that when he became ambassador two years ago, he was a little disappointed. He thought the job would come with a few more perks. GENE LUEN YANG: Yeah. I thought there would be a crown and maybe, like, a helicopter of some kind, but none of that happened. NEARY: As she takes on the job, Jacqueline Woodson has no illusions about the perks. But if anything, she has higher expectations. JACQUELINE WOODSON: My hope is that by that time I'm no longer national ambassador I'll have changed the world. NEARYWhere Author Jacqueline Woodson Would Like To Take Young People's Literature In 2018http://ktep.org/post/where-author-jacqueline-woodson-would-take-young-peoples-literature-2018
122512 as http://ktep.orgTue, 09 Jan 2018 21:19:00 +0000Where Author Jacqueline Woodson Would Like To Take Young People's Literature In 2018Lynn NearyIt seems fitting that 2017 has been bookended by two novels about women and power. When the year began, Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale , which depicts a future where women are stripped of all power, began making its way to the top of best-seller lists . As 2017 draws to a close, another dystopian novel has made it onto some prominent top ten lists: Naomi Alderman's The Power . It imagines a world in which women discover they have a weapon that makes them physically threatening to men — and that weapon changes everything. "It's some sort of electrical thing which will both hurt you, like an electric shock, and will also somehow trigger the pain centers in your brain," Alderman says. "So it's the power to cause pain by violence." Young women develop this power as they enter puberty, and it comes as a surprise. A character named Roxy uses it for the first time as she is fighting for her life: He reaches for her with one hand, the knife in the other. She gets ready to kick him orIn 'The Power,' Women Develop A Weapon That Changes Everythinghttp://ktep.org/post/power-women-develop-weapon-changes-everything
121735 as http://ktep.orgTue, 26 Dec 2017 21:36:00 +0000In 'The Power,' Women Develop A Weapon That Changes EverythingLynn NearyBookseller's Foray Into Hollywood Is A Dickens Of A Talehttp://ktep.org/post/booksellers-foray-hollywood-dickens-tale
119897 as http://ktep.orgMon, 27 Nov 2017 21:38:00 +0000Bookseller's Foray Into Hollywood Is A Dickens Of A TaleLynn NearyCopyright 2017 NPR. To see more, visit STEVE INSKEEP, HOST: The National Book Foundation offered some star power at its annual awards ceremony last night in New York - Bill Clinton, Anne Hathaway, Cynthia Nixon. But the real stars of the evening were 20 writers, nominated for prose and poetry. NPR's Lynn Neary reports. LYNN NEARY, BYLINE: Writer Jacqueline Woodson isn't used to the red-carpet treatment. She's attended the awards in the past as both a nominee and a winner. This year, she was a judge for the fiction prize, but when she stepped into the spotlight, photographers wanted to know if she has set a record for wins and nominations. JACQUELINE WOODSON: I don't think so - maybe tied with someone. I don't know (laughter). UNIDENTIFIED MAN: Susan Lucci. WOODSON: Susan Lucci. Hey, Lynn, good to see you. NEARY: The National Book Awards are sometimes called the Oscars of the book industry. And Lisa Lucas, who took over as head of the National Book Foundation last year, has worked toNational Book Awards, The Industry's Oscars, Awarded In New Yorkhttp://ktep.org/post/national-book-awards-industrys-oscars-awarded-new-york
119249 as http://ktep.orgThu, 16 Nov 2017 10:07:00 +0000National Book Awards, The Industry's Oscars, Awarded In New YorkLynn NearyBinge-watching your favorite TV show is sometimes compared to reading a really good novel in a single sitting: You tell yourself you'll watch just one more episode. Before you know it, you've watched three, just like you keep moving to the next chapter of a book you just can't put down. But Matthew Weiner says writing a novel is nothing like writing for TV, and he should know. He's the guy who created the very binge-worthy show Mad Men , and is now trying his hand at being a novelist. Weiner got the idea for his first novel, Heather, the Totality, during a visit to New York City's luxurious Carlyle Hotel. And we met there recently, in a quiet nook in the hotel's restaurant, to talk about the book. Weiner says he always wanted to be a writer, but even though he loved reading novels, the idea of writing one was intimidating. Instead, he wrote for sitcoms. "I wrote the Mad Men pilot while I was working on a sitcom," he tells me. "I didn't enjoy the job that I was on, and I thought that it'Mad Men' Creator Says Writing A Novel Is Nothing Like TV Writinghttp://ktep.org/post/mad-men-creator-says-writing-novel-nothing-tv-writing
118608 as http://ktep.orgMon, 06 Nov 2017 09:53:00 +0000'Mad Men' Creator Says Writing A Novel Is Nothing Like TV WritingLynn NearyCopyright 2017 NPR. To see more, visit SCOTT SIMON, HOST: Navigating the world of young adult literature is becoming a fraught adventure. The latest skirmish started when critics of the yet to be published novel "American Heart" took to Twitter to denounce the book for cultural insensitivity. And then, the influential Kirkus Reviews got involved. NPR's Lynn Neary has the story. LYNN NEARY, BYLINE: When Laura Moriarty got a starred review in Kirkus for her novel "American Heart," she was happy a critic liked her work and pleased because a good review in Kirkus can help sell books. So when Kirkus later changed the review and, in a rare move, took away her star, Moriarty says... LAURA MORIARTY: I was stunned. I couldn't believe it happened. I'd never heard of a reviewer doing that. NEARY: Kirkus' decision to remove the star came after the Twitterverse and Good Reads website exploded with sometimes vitriolic anger at Moriarty's book. The novel is set in a future where Muslims are sent toKirkus Changes Review After 'American Heart' Draws Outrage As 'White Savior Narrative'http://ktep.org/post/kirkus-changes-review-after-american-heart-draws-outrage-white-savior-narrative
117637 as http://ktep.orgSat, 21 Oct 2017 13:00:00 +0000Kirkus Changes Review After 'American Heart' Draws Outrage As 'White Savior Narrative'Lynn NearyAmy Tan loves jazz and classical music. "I have a Steinway, which was my life's dream," she says, sitting at her grand piano in the middle of her New York living room. When Tan listens to a piece of music, she imagines stories to go with it, so she always listens when she writes. Tan is best known for novels that focus on mother-daughter relationships and Chinese-American culture — novels like 1989's The Joy Luck Club . Her latest book, Where the Past Begins, is a writer's memoir. In it, Tan delves into her past to uncover the sources of her own creativity. She says she wrote her new memoir to the tune of Sergei Rachmaninoff's Concerto No. 3 in D minor, a piece she used to hate. Today, the concerto reminds her of her past. "This is my mother; this is my life; these are the moods; and this is where I went. This is me as a young woman." Tan may love music now , but she hated it growing up. Back then, she had to practice piano every day, and felt burdened by her parents' aspirations forAmy Tan Revisits The Roots Of Her Writing Career In 'Where The Past Begins'http://ktep.org/post/amy-tan-revisits-roots-her-writing-career-where-past-begins
117310 as http://ktep.orgMon, 16 Oct 2017 19:01:00 +0000Amy Tan Revisits The Roots Of Her Writing Career In 'Where The Past Begins'Lynn NearyWhen Ta-Nehisi Coates' new book, We Were Eight Years in Power, was released last week, there was a big party — bigger than most book parties, because this event was also celebrating the launch of a new venture for Chris Jackson, the editor who has helped make Coates famous. Most people outside the world of publishing probably won't recognize Jackson's name, but they might recognize some of the writers he has edited, from celebrity rapper Jay Z to literary fiction star Edwidge Danticat. And of course there is Coates, who seems to be everywhere right now. Jackson jokingly introduced him from the stage at the event as "a writer ... he's written a few books," and the audience laughed appreciatively. Jackson published Coates' first book, and more recently, Between the World and Me , which won the National Book Award and became a best-seller. "He is directly responsible for any success I've had, unquestionably, I couldn't have done it without him," Coates says. Coates is following Jackson toChris Jackson And The Book Industry's Attempts To Diversifyhttp://ktep.org/post/chris-jackson-and-book-industrys-attempts-diversify
117045 as http://ktep.orgThu, 12 Oct 2017 09:34:00 +0000Chris Jackson And The Book Industry's Attempts To DiversifyLynn NearyCopyright 2017 NPR. To see more, visit RACHEL MARTIN, HOST: The Nobel Prize in literature has been awarded. It goes to British writer Kazuo Ishiguro. In making the announcement this morning, the Swedish Academy cited Ishiguro's, quote, "novels of great emotional force." They said the books uncover the, quote, "abyss beneath our illusory sense of connection with the world." NPR's Lynn Neary joins us now in studio to talk about the prize. Hi, Lynn. LYNN NEARY, BYLINE: Hi, good to be here. MARTIN: So last year's winner was Bob Dylan. This is a different kind of winner. He's not completely unknown, though, in the U.S., as is sometimes the case. NEARY: No. I think that a lot of people will recognize Ishiguro's name. They'll be familiar with it because two of his best-known novels have been adapted into films, most notably "Remains Of The Day," which was adapted by Merchant Ivory in 1993, starring Anthony Hopkins and Emma Thompson, and "Never Let Me Go," based on his 2005 novel of the sameBritish Writer Kazuo Ishiguro Wins Nobel Prize In Literaturehttp://ktep.org/post/nobel-prize-literature-be-announced
116635 as http://ktep.orgThu, 05 Oct 2017 09:02:00 +0000British Writer Kazuo Ishiguro Wins Nobel Prize In LiteratureLynn NearyCopyright 2017 NPR. To see more, visit ROBERT SIEGEL, HOST: The Nobel Prize in Literature will be announced tomorrow in Stockholm. And as usual, the British betting agency Ladbrokes is driving the speculation on who might win. No matter that Ladbrokes rarely gets it right. The Nobel committee is famous for its surprising choices. Last year's winner was Bob Dylan. Still, some names get mentioned every year. NPR's Lynn Neary looks at this year's top contenders. LYNN NEARY, BYLINE: It's been quite a year for Margaret Atwood. A television adaptation of her novel "The Handmaid's Tale" was a huge success, and the book, first published more than 30 years ago, is back near the top of best-seller lists. That may be why her chance of winning the Nobel this year looks pretty good. It's also why fans like Karma Waltonen are on tenterhooks. KARMA WALTONEN: I mean, this is something that all Atwood fans have waited for for a really long time. And even in years when other writers that we love win, itNo Shortlist Of Nominees For The Nobel Prize In Literaturehttp://ktep.org/post/no-shortlist-nominees-nobel-prize-literature
116603 as http://ktep.orgWed, 04 Oct 2017 20:47:00 +0000No Shortlist Of Nominees For The Nobel Prize In LiteratureLynn NearyCopyright 2017 NPR. To see more, visit AILSA CHANG, HOST: Novelist Nicole Krauss has always admired the writings of Franz Kafka. In her new book, "Forest Dark," she gives him a second life in Israel. Kafka is not the only character to get a shot at a new life. The novel tells a story of an older man and a younger woman, each going through a crisis that brings them to the same hotel in Tel Aviv. From there, they launch separate journeys in search of answers. NPR's Lynn Neary has more. LYNN NEARY, BYLINE: Nicole Krauss lives just minutes from Brooklyn's Prospect Park. On the day we met, the park was livelier than usual as people gathered to watch the eclipse. NICOLE KRAUSS: Should we put our glasses on so we can see? We're going to the park now. NEARY: Krauss comes to the park every day and says the meadow where we stop to watch is usually pretty empty. UNIDENTIFIED CHILD: Mom, I just (unintelligible). NEARY: Though it was crowded, it was not stirring with the same energy Krauss imaginesIn 'Forest Dark,' A Building In Israel Connects 2 Searching Soulshttp://ktep.org/post/forest-dark-building-israel-connects-2-searching-souls
115374 as http://ktep.orgThu, 14 Sep 2017 20:38:00 +0000In 'Forest Dark,' A Building In Israel Connects 2 Searching SoulsLynn NearyCopyright 2017 NPR. To see more, visit MARY LOUISE KELLY, HOST: Next, we have the story of a conservative powerhouse accusing The New York Times of getting facts wrong and being biased. And no, I am not talking about President Trump. This is the latest drama in the world of books. NPR's Lynn Neary explains why Regnery Publishing says it is breaking up with The New York Times best-seller list. LYNN NEARY, BYLINE: In a letter to its authors, which includes such conservative stars as Dinesh D'Souza, Laura Ingraham and Newt Gingrich, Regnery said it will no longer track the Times best-seller list or use it in promoting books. That's a nervy step to take because the Times best-seller list has clout, as Regnery publisher Marji Ross acknowledges. MARJORY ROSS: There is a certain cachet and a certain sort of bragging rights that an author has when they hit the New York Times best-seller list or become a No. 1 New York Times best-seller. NEARY: But Ross is convinced that the Times best-sellerConservative Publisher Quits 'NYT' Best-Seller Listhttp://ktep.org/post/conservative-publisher-quits-nyt-best-seller-list
114900 as http://ktep.orgThu, 07 Sep 2017 09:19:00 +0000Conservative Publisher Quits 'NYT' Best-Seller ListLynn NearyGeorge Smiley is back. For the first time in 25 years, John le Carré has written a new novel featuring the spy at the center of some his most popular books. The new release, A Legacy of Spies , is a kind of prequel to The Spy Who Came in From the Cold (1963), the book that made le Carré famous and changed spy novels forever. In A Legacy of Spies , le Carré goes deep into Smiley's past, re-examining the role he and his cohorts played in The Spy Who Came in From the Cold , a story of betrayal and deception that ends badly at the Berlin Wall. Journalist and spy novelist David Ignatius says The Spy Who Came in From the Cold opened up the world of espionage and revealed tactics that were often morally questionable. He says Smiley was always a different kind of spy. He wasn't dashing or womanizing like James Bond; instead, Ignatius says, he was a "rumpled, almost professorial student of German manuscripts. His wife was unfaithful to him. He lived in this little house on Bywater Street. HeIn 'A Legacy Of Spies,' John Le Carré Goes Back Out In 'The Cold'http://ktep.org/post/legacy-spies-john-le-carr-goes-back-out-cold
114746 as http://ktep.orgTue, 05 Sep 2017 09:04:00 +0000In 'A Legacy Of Spies,' John Le Carré Goes Back Out In 'The Cold'Lynn NearyIf you've seen the hit musical Hamilton — or even if you've only heard about it — you might want to know more about the founding father who was the United States' first Secretary of the Treasury. And if so, the Library of Congress just made it easier to go right to the source. Before, if you wanted to see — for example — Alexander Hamilton's letters to his wife, you had to travel to the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., and even then, you'd have to view them on microfilm. Now, Julie Miller, the library's curator of early American manuscripts, says the collection has been digitized. "The web site is meant to open these up to a much broader public," she tells me — and given the increased interest in Hamilton, the timing is no accident. Miller says the musical's enormous popularity motivated the library to make approximately 12,000 Hamilton documents available on the Internet. At a briefing, Miller and members of the library's digital team lay out some of the original documentsI Saved Every Letter You Wrote Me: The Library of Congress Digitizes Hamiltonhttp://ktep.org/post/i-saved-every-letter-you-wrote-me-library-congress-digitizes-hamilton
114318 as http://ktep.orgTue, 29 Aug 2017 09:09:00 +0000I Saved Every Letter You Wrote Me: The Library of Congress Digitizes HamiltonLynn NearyBe More Than A Bookstore: A Brick-And-Mortar Shop's Key To Successhttp://ktep.org/post/be-more-bookstore-brick-and-mortar-shops-key-success
113428 as http://ktep.orgTue, 15 Aug 2017 09:01:00 +0000Be More Than A Bookstore: A Brick-And-Mortar Shop's Key To SuccessLynn NearyWhen Kelly Barrales-Saylor was a new mom, she got a lot of children's books as gifts. Most were simple books about shapes, colors and letters. There were none about science — or math. "My editorial brain lit up and said there must be a need for this," says Barrales-Saylor, who works as an editor for a publishing company outside Chicago. Halfway across the world, Chris Ferrie was similarly unsatisfied. When reading to his kids, Ferrie noticed that most books used animals to introduce new words. In today's world, that just didn't make sense to him. "We're not surrounded by animals anymore," says Ferrie, a physicist and mathematician at a university in Sydney, Australia. "We're surrounded by technology." So he created some math and science books for his own children and self-published them online. That's where Barrales-Saylor found them. And together, they designed a series of books aimed at toddlers and babies. The books introduce subjects like rocket science, quantum physics and generalSomething New For Baby To Chew On: Rocket Science And Quantum Physicshttp://ktep.org/post/physics-toddlers
110944 as http://ktep.orgThu, 06 Jul 2017 09:01:00 +0000Something New For Baby To Chew On: Rocket Science And Quantum PhysicsLynn NearyThey call her the queen of summer, because writer Elin Hilderbrand has perfected the kind of book you can devour while sitting on the beach or by a lake, or pretty much anywhere on a hot summer day. She sets her stories in Nantucket, a summer paradise where she lives year round. Hilderbrand fell in love with summer when she was young, at the cottage her family rented on Cape Cod. Her father set down some strict rules for the kids, including the most important one: If the sun was shining, they had to spend the whole day at the beach. When Hilderbrand turned 16, her father was killed in a plane crash. She spent the next summer working in a factory making Halloween costumes. "I was folding Rambo headbands eight hours a day, stapling clown hats to cardboard forms," she tells me. "And when I was doing this, I thought to myself, I don't care what happens the rest of my life but I'm gonna find a way to spend every summer at the beach. Strangely enough, she found her way to that endless summerWriter Elin Hilderbrand, 'Queen Of Summer,' Wears Her Crown Proudlyhttp://ktep.org/post/writer-elin-hilderbrand-queen-summer-wears-her-crown-proudly
110757 as http://ktep.orgMon, 03 Jul 2017 09:00:00 +0000Writer Elin Hilderbrand, 'Queen Of Summer,' Wears Her Crown Proudly